Inland Catholic official Maria EcheverrÃ­a recalled how on a trip to the Philippines six years ago, she was startled to learn that Catholic Masses there sometimes are held in shopping malls.

âI have to admit, when I first heard that I thought, âIsnât that disrespectful and maybe even sacrilegious?ââ EcheverrÃ­a said Friday, May 17, during the opening of a two-day conference in San Bernardino on Asian and Pacific Islander Catholic spirituality. âBut when I witnessed it and saw the depth of faith and devotion, I realized I didnât know what I was talking about. God is everywhere.â

EcheverrÃ­a, the dioceseâs director of apostolic and ethnic affairs, said by respecting different ways people experience faith, âwe open our hearts to a deeper understanding and appreciation.â

The number of Asian and Pacific Islander Catholics in the Diocese of San Bernardino â" which includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties â" has surged in recent years, to about 10 to 12 percent of the dioceseâs estimated 1.2 million parishioners, said the Vietnamese-born Rev. Anthony Dao, pastor of Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in San Bernardino.

The conference is aimed in part at educating non-Asians on the differences between U.S. and Asian cultural and faith traditions, said Dao, who spoke on the topic at Fridayâs workshop.

For example, he said, the more communal nature of Asian culture means that large extended families often attend Mass together, sometimes taking up two or three entire pews. Asian and Pacific Islander Catholics also hold distinct types of processions that are influenced by longstanding cultural traditions, Dao said.

But the event also is for Asian immigrants who strive to preserve their approaches to Catholic spirituality and seek to pass on those traditions to their children.

âFor the younger generation, itâs to continue knowing their roots and cherishing those roots,â said Densy Chandra, a conference attendee and Indonesian community coordinator for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The diversity of the Inland regionâs Asian and Pacific Islander communities is reflected in Saturdayâs workshops, which will include talks in Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian, Tongan and Chamorro.

The Filipino workshops Saturday will be in English. Most Filipino immigrants in the Inland area speak English, and many young people donât speak the Filipino language of Tagalog, said Wil Vita, who helps organize a monthly Filipino Mass at St. Martha Catholic Church in Murrieta.

But most of the St. Martha Mass, which attracts about 300 people from throughout southwest Riverside County, is in Tagalog. At least 15 parishes have regular Filipino Masses.

Some non-Filipinos have wondered why Filipino Masses are needed when most Filipino parishioners speak English, said Beth Manangan, chair of the dioceseâs Filipino ministry.

âThey donât understand that itâs not about the language,â Manangan said. âItâs about being able to participate and bring to life the traditions that we left back home.â

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